


Kids in Love

by mintyfreshness



Category: How to Train Your Dragon (Movies)
Genre: Domestic Fluff, F/M, Fluff, Mild Sexual Content, Pregstrid
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-28
Updated: 2019-03-28
Packaged: 2019-12-25 18:16:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,699
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18266804
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mintyfreshness/pseuds/mintyfreshness
Summary: we are kids in love / and I got so much more to give / more to give, my lovea series of connected snapshots from Hiccup and Astrid's life together, from just before HTTYD2 through to Zephyr's birth[lyrics from 'Kids in Love' by Eliza and the Bear]





	Kids in Love

_we are kids in love / and I got so much more to give / more to give, my love_

“Hiccup?”

“Shhh, shhh!” Astrid’s hand is in his, tugging him along the path away from the forge, desperately trying to smother her giggles. Hiccup stumbles along after her, trying to not fall over as the two evade his father.

“Son?” Stoick’s voice is muffled from inside the forge; a few more seconds of running and Hiccup has to strain to make it out.

“Where are we going?” he pants, looking back up to his girlfriend.

She giggles, a high peal of laughter that makes something in Hiccup’s chest glow. “Somewhere we won’t get interrupted again.”

“I didn’t realise such a place existed on Berk,” he pants, trying to place his feet so that he doesn’t fall over.

“You obviously haven’t been looking hard enough,” she says, turning them round a corner past the outskirts of the village. The last house provides cover from the line of sight from the centre of the village, and Hiccup takes the opportunity to catch his breath slightly. 

“Wait.”

Astrid turns round, and he barely registers her smirk before she presses him up against the wall of the house and continues where they left off. A small moan rises in his chest and his hands grab her waist, pulling her flush against him as her hands reach into his hair and close the distance between them even more.

It’s sloppy, teeth clashing and tongues frantic, but Hiccup wouldn’t have it any other way. His hands stray from her waist, rising up to sit just below her bindings, and he pauses for a second.

“Mmm,” Astrid says in lieu of actual words, but Hiccup know her well enough now to know that that noise constitutes consent and shifts his hands up cup her breasts. Astrid pulls away from the kiss to moan softly into his ear, and Hiccup feels himself twitch between his legs. His girlfriend takes the opportunity to slide her thigh in to rub against his arousal and he moans.

“Astrid…"

“What?” Her voice is breathy, and the sounds makes even more blood rush south.

“As much as I really don’t want to move right now- like, I _really_ don’t want to change anything about this – I think we ought to go somewhere more… out of sight if you want to continue.”

“Of course I want to continue,” she whispers into his ear, before biting his lobe. Hiccup shivers, his response to her growing by the second.

“Astrid…” he pleads, fighting every instinct that is screaming at him to just turn her round and press her up against the wall and take her there and then.

She sighs. “Fine.” She extricates her hands from his hair and steps back and Hiccup mourns the loss of her touch almost immediately.

Astrid frowns, chewing her lip, then grins.

“What?”

“I just remembered where we were going before we got distracted."

“And that is…?" 

Astrid starts walking backwards away from him. “You’ll have to catch me if you want to find out.” She starts walking faster, and Hiccup gets her game.

“Oh, really?”

She nods and bites her lip as he starts to follow her.

“You gonna give a head start to a poor, one-legged Viking?"

“In your dreams, Haddock.”

“Oh, it is _on_ , Hofferson.”

 

* * *

_I gotta get it straight out of you / if I find us somewhere new / will you stay forever / stay forever?_

The grass on the island is waist-high, but eventually Toothless and Stormfly chase each other round enough that a small meadow is created where they can unhook the saddlebags and spread out a fur and enjoy the summer sun on their skin.

Astrid unlaces her vambraces and shoulder pads and Hiccup takes off his prosthetic leg and they lie down together, his shoulder serving as her pillow, and breathe in the fresh sea air.

“This is amazing, Hiccup,” she whispers. “How did you find it?”

“The usual way.”

“So, you got lost.”

“Are you complaining?”

She laughs and turns her head to plant a kiss to his jawline. “Nope. Definitely not complaining.”

Hiccup sighs and pulls her closer. “I wish we could stay here forever. Just the two of us."

“Well, really, it’d be four, wouldn’t it?” she points out.

“True. Although I don’t think Stormfly is really down to cuddle with me like this.”

“And Toothless is?" 

“He has very particular emotional needs.”

“Are we still talking about the dragon?”

“Very funny.”

The silence extends between them, but Astrid feels no pressure to fill it, content to press herself into Hiccup’s side and close her eyes and just hear and smell their surroundings. They so rarely have a chance to just _be_ , without someone demanding Hiccup’s attention as son of the Chief, or his skills in the forge. But it does mean on these days off, intermittent as they are, the feeling of lying next to each other is even more perfect.

“I mean it though,” he says, voice barely above a whisper. “I’d stay here forever with you if I had the chance.”

“I would too.” _In a heartbeat_. “Maybe when you’re Chief, you can make a proclamation. One day every moon cycle, everyone has to leave us alone so we can come here and be together."

“Yeah but then they’d all know what we were getting up to.”

“Do you really care?”

“Not in the slightest.”  

 

* * *

_and now I’m in over my head / I feel out of my depth / but I’m gonna stay forever / I’ll stay forever_

“Hiccup! Can I have a minute?" 

“I was here first, wait your turn!”

“Chief! I need to talk to you about my flock-”

“Oh, nobody cares, Sven.”

“We need to talk about the new patrol schedule, my lad’s got a clash with his cooking duties and it’ll mean that Gustav’ll be out on his own-”

“Hiccup, I really need to talk to you about this-”

On, and on, the bickering, the infighting, the one-upmanship. Hiccup can barely stand it – he has no idea how his dad managed to survive this, all day every day.

His dad. What he wouldn’t give to have him here right now.

Rubbing his face in his hands, he slumps in his chair but still the voices continue. Silently, he wishes Toothless were there; his friend slunk off not long ago, but Hiccup can’t blame him for wanting to avoid the noise and the confusion.

“-running out of leather and we’re not expecting another shipment for-”

“-flock is very important; do you want to starve this winter?”

“Chief, we really can’t afford a gap in the patrols at the moment-”

“Hiccup, I really need a minute-”

“-look at him, first week on the job and he’s already struggling-”

“-say that to my face, Sven!”

“-nothing like his father-”

“-useless-”

“-indecisive-”

“-Stoick would be ashamed-”

That last comment turns his sheer exhaustion into outright ire. Hiccup slams his hands down on the table. “For Thor’s sake, all of you shut up!”

To his surprise, it actually works. The voices cease at once, the last remnants echoing through the hall before fading into silence. Hiccup steels himself, hands forming into fists as he pushes to his feet, the room swaying slightly in front of him. 

“I know I am not my father. You’ve all made that perfectly clear. But since my father is-” his voice catches on the word; he can’t bring himself to say it out loud. “Since he’s no longer here all you’ve got is me. And I can’t do this job if you don’t give me something to work with. So please. Get in a line, learn some patience, and understand that I’m doing the best I can. Alright?”

“Upstart teenager,” someone snorts. “Damn right he’s not his fath-”

Hiccup doesn’t see the axe rise, but the whole hall hears the _thud_ as it’s embedded in the ground at the offender’s feet. The crowd parts to reveal Astrid, face contorted in fury, one hand lifting her axe from the ground, the other pressing a knife to the offending Jorgensen’s throat. Toothless stands behind her, back arched, teeth bared, daring anyone to defy them.

“Have,” she hisses, “some fucking respect. His father just died. We’re bare weeks from the trading lanes closing for the winter and he has seven hundred people to feed, not to mention all the livestock and dragons. And you want to call him an upstart teenager? Do _you_ want to take his place? Have that kind of responsibility?”

“I, uh…”

“Didn’t think so.” She sheaths her knife and spins around to face the other onlookers, one hand tossing her axe threateningly. “Anyone else who thinks they could do a better job than Hiccup? Anyone else who thinks they could do better than the man who ended the war with the dragons, rebuilt our way of life and tripled our coffers in the process?”

Their silence is an answer in itself. Astrid turns and walks towards Hiccup, the crowds parting as she makes her way up to the top table, where she immediately takes him in her embrace.

“Toothless came and got me,” she whispered. “You look exhausted."

“I’m fine, Astrid,” he mumbles, lying through the skin of his teeth.

“Yakshit. You need to rest.” 

Hiccup doesn’t have the energy to disagree, especially not with the mood she’s in. Astrid faces the crowd again, taking his hand in hers, holding him upright as much as showing support. “He’s done for today. You lot can sort your problems out between yourselves for one afternoon. If it’s urgent, you can tell me or Gobber about it, or tell Valka when she gets back. Get out.”

The crowd pauses, unsure about taking orders from her. Astrid scowls again and whacks her axe into the table for emphasis. “That wasn’t a suggestion.”

The message received, the villagers disperse, taking their troubles with them, and when the last one finally leaves the hall Hiccup can finally collapse back into his chair, eyes falling shut.

“Thank you,” he murmurs.

“You need to rest,” she says, a hand coming to stroke his fringe out of his eyes. “Toothless and I are going to take you home and you are not allowed to get up for the rest of the day.”

“Yes, milady.”

He tries to stand up, but the ground feels wobbly under his feet and he ends up leaning heavily on Astrid for support. He hears her gasp in his ear. “Hiccup, when was the last time you slept?”

“Three…? No, four - four days ago.”

“Oh babe, that’s not okay,” she sighs. “No wonder you can barely stand up straight.”

“There hasn’t been time, Astrid,” he says. “There’s just so much that needs to be done-”

“Not right now. Right now, all you’re going to do is go home and _sleep_.” Astrid gives a quick whistle that brings Toothless over from where he’s been watching the door. Between the two of them, they manage to half support, half carry Hiccup down the short distance to the Haddock household, and once the door shuts behind them and he’s sat by the fire Hiccup feels a weight leave his chest. But only a small one. Grief is not an easy burden to carry.

“Astrid?”

“I’m here, Hiccup.” A hand appears on his shoulder; he turns his head to look up into her kind, concerned eyes. But at least he doesn’t have to carry it alone.

“Can I go sleep now?"

“Of course.”

“Will you stay with me?" 

“I’m not going anywhere,” she promises, leaning down to kiss his cheek before helping him stand and walk up the stairs. In his room, he pulls his clothes off while she removes his prosthetic, and it’s a fight to stay awake long enough for her to shed her own garments and join him. But it’s worth it to feel her head on his shoulder and her hand on his chest right above his heart.

Hiccup places a lazy kiss to the top of her head. “Love you.”

“I love you too, Hiccup. Now, sleep.”

She’s barely finished her command before he obeys.

 

* * *

' _cause I’ve got a reason to love you / I’ve got a reason_

“Hiccup?”

“Mmm?” He raises his head from where he’s been nuzzling kisses into her collarbone for the last few minutes. The minutes of their post-coital bliss are her favourite of the day; Hiccup mellow and attentive by her side, her body feeling warm and satisfied, their skin touching from toes to shoulders. She can feel his arousal pressed against her hip, but he makes no attempt to deal with it, just continuing to enjoy the moment as it is.

“Can I ask you something?” 

“Anything, milady.”

She smiles sadly and extends her hands into his hair.

“Am I enough?”

Her question brings him up short. “What?”

“Am I enough for you?"

“Astrid… what? Wha- wha- what kind of a question is that?”

She screws her face up and tips her head back to look up at the ceiling.

“Astrid?” Hiccup slides up so that he’s leaning on his elbows next to her. “What’s brought this on?”

She sighs and turns back over to look up into his face. His hand immediately comes up to stroke her cheek, and she smiles into his touch.

“I heard some of the women down at the market today,” she begins, chewing her lip. “And normally I don’t listen to their gossip but today they were talking about you, so I kept one ear open just in case I needed to jump to your defence-”

“Oh, don’t worry about me, Astrid, I’ve got used to it over the years,” he smiles, brushing his fingertips over her cheekbone. “Besides, I had the worst of it before all the changes, anything now kind of pales in comparison.”

“Well… this time it wasn’t really you, more… me. Both of us, I guess.”

“What do you mean?”

“They were talking about us and the fact that you’re the Chief now and how any woman you marry will have to be the pinnacle of a Chieftess, you know, set the example for all the rest of the women in the tribe, uphold our values…”

“I still don’t understand…?”

“Well, these women didn’t seem to think that I would be suitable for that position, because I can’t cook, and because I prefer an axe to a needle, and that it’s such a shame that I’ve tainted your honour-”

Hiccup takes a short inhale, and Astrid snorts. “Oh, don’t worry, it’s just speculation, we’ve been too careful hiding this. Anyway, turns out some people don’t think I’m suitable for you and it’s _such a shame that the Hofferson bitch has got him wrapped around her finger, he’d do much better elsewhere_ -”

“Astrid…”

“And they’re right, really, aren’t they? I’m not a suitable Chieftess. I’m not even good _wife_ material. I can’t sew and I can’t cook and I can’t run a household and I just…” She trails off into nothing and buries herself in the furs to hide the fact that her chest is shaking with subdued sobs.

“Oh, Astrid…” Hiccup’s arms come around her, and she allows him to draw her in until her face is pressed to his collarbone, his hands making soothing strokes along her back as she fights the urge to cry tears.

When she’s been still for a few minutes, tears averted, she feels his throat rumble as he speaks. “Astrid, look at me, please?” She appears tentatively out of his chest, and his heart breaks at the vulnerability on her face.

“I absolutely adore you,” he whispers, stroking some hair behind her ear. “You are… gods, there aren’t even words to describe how amazing you are, how much you mean to me.” He sighs. “I love you, exactly the way you are, and I would never change any part of you. And as long as I’m Chief, people are going to have to get used to you being Chieftess because I’m never marrying anyone else so long as we both walk the earth.”

“Hiccup…”

“I mean it, Astrid. And as far as those women go… they don’t speak for me. They don’t even speak for most of the tribe. And if they’ve got a problem with you, well… they can shove it.” He shrugs. “Can’t please everyone. But I will certainly please you.” He stops. “That sounded very sexual. That was not my intention.”

Astrid laughs softly. “Thank you, Hiccup,” she smiles, cupping his face and running a thumb over his lips. “And, well, if you did want to _please_ me, I definitely wouldn’t be opposed to that…”

“Oh really?” She feels his hands trail south along her body. “Well, whatever milady desires. Or, should I say, my Chieftess?”

“We’re not quite there yet, Haddock,” she smiles. “You haven’t popped the question yet."

“Oh don’t worry, it’s coming.” He lays her down on the furs and shifts himself down until his fingers ghost between her legs. “But I have something else in mind first…”

 

* * *

 s _o we took the car out for a few / oh, it’s just me and you / if we could take it forever / take it together_

There is no other word to describe flight on dragon back other than _liberating_.

Hiccup has long since lost count of the number of times he has taken to the skies with his best friend, soaring high above land and sea, feeling the wind whip past them as they turn in aerobatics or free fall towards the surface far below. Since becoming Chief, the feeling of flight is even more freeing, letting Hiccup forget his worries and responsibilities as he and Toothless speed faster than anyone else across the world.

Sometimes, Astrid joins them.

She’s not as fond of the great stunts that Hiccup and Toothless pull off, so their flights together are often later at night, when Toothless is less restless and happy simply to soar into the clouds with the Vikings sat contentedly on his back. Astrid leans back into Hiccup’s chest and he winds his arms around her, and they watch the world fly by together.

Sometimes, Toothless has to remind them to concentrate.

Hiccup knows no greater feeling than watching the sunrise with his best friend and his girlfriend at his side. Whenever they can get away from the village, they seek new lands: lush, undisturbed forests, beaches dusted with white-gold sand the colour of Astrid’s hair, waterfalls that soar ten, twenty, fifty metres into the air. And always at the rise or fall of the sun, the three of them (or four, if Stormfly comes too) stand together and watch the colours ripple across the sky as if some great, invisible paintbrush were adjusting it behind the scenes.

Sometimes, Hiccup and Astrid are too distracted to watch it.

They lie together in meadows, in caves, their touches teasing and exploratory, their lovemaking unhurried and fulfilling. Astrid barely recovers from one climax before Hiccup is there again, insistent with his hands or mouth or hips on giving her another. Their bodies mould together, pressed up against rock or wood, layers of clothing creating delicious friction until their arousal is so unrelenting that Hiccup can barely unlace his trousers in time to lift her onto his hips and thrust until he sees stars in the back of his eyes.

There is no other way to describe his emotions on such occasions other than _euphoria_.

And so, despite Hiccup’s pressures, despite the weight on his shoulders, whenever he takes to the sky, sometimes with Astrid but always with his best bud, Hiccup feels one thing more than anything else.

Home.

 

* * *

_I didn’t know what was wrong / but the sun, it hasn’t shone / this bright in forever / bright in forever_

He doesn’t even see her sneak up behind him, so when he feels the hands cover his eyes he immediately starts and reaches for the sword strapped to his leg.

“It’s just me, don’t panic!” she laughs. Hiccup relaxes, but her hands still cover his eyes and she makes no attempt to remove them.

“Uh, Astrid?"

“What?”

“Are you gonna... you know,  move your hands?”

“Only if you let me blindfold you.”

“What?”

"It’s a surprise, dummy.”

“Oh. Oh okay, uh, yeah, sure. Just, sorry in advance when I faceplant and ruin the evening with my bloody nose"

He can almost _hear_ her rolling her eyes. “You’re such a drama queen. Fine, I won’t blindfold you, it’s dark anyway, but you have to keep your eyes shut as much as possible, okay? I’ll guide you; you won’t fall over.”

He nods, his trust in her without exception, and her hands lift away, coming to hold his elbow. Gently, she leads him forward, her voice softly informing him of changes of direction or terrain, but other than that they don’t really speak. Hiccup’s brain keeps turning in the silence, fuming about the mistakes he made in the forge today, about the entire village being on his back since the second he woke up with menial demands and bloated complaints, Snotlout pissing around at lunch and spilling his mead all over Hiccup’s food. It’s just been one of those days and he knows he should just let it go but for some reason it’s got to him more than usual.

As a result, he was looking forward to a night with Astrid with a fervour, one of the few times where he really wanted to _not_ talk about what was bothering him, providing she was up for it too. But now they’re taking off into what feels and sounds like the deep woods and he’s really not feeling whatever lively activities she’s probably got planned for them, but even in this mood he can’t find it in his heart to deny her.

They’ve been walking for about twenty minutes when she stops them.

“Okay, keep your eyes closed for a second longer, I’ve just got to do a couple more things…”

As instructed, he stands on the spot, hands swinging awkwardly at his side as he hears movement in front of him, what sounds like the clinking of tankards and the rustle of fabric. Then he hears the crackle of wood as a fire is adjusted.

“Okay, Hiccup, you can open your eyes now.”

He does. And he gasps.

They’re in one of the secluded clearings in the forest, tucked into one of the valleys of their new island and hard to get to unless you know where you’re going. In the middle of the clearing, a fire burns merrily away; next to it, a box of provisions has been spilled out to reveal a couple of furs and some food and drink. But the real treat is the starry sky above them, a perfect incandescent circle visible in the clearing, with the _norðrljós_ just peaking in from the northern edges.

“Astrid…” he breathes. “This is…”

“Do you like it?” His gaze shifts from the sky to his wife, kneeling by the fire. And, oh, his heart sings at the sight of her, hair half down looking like drenched gold silk in the firelight, her eyes two shining sapphires, her smile brighter than any star, her battle-worn hands cupped around the ever-so-slight swell of her belly…

Hiccup thinks his heart might burst with adoration.

“I love it,” he whispers, rooted to the spot for fear of falling over if he tried to move. “And you say I’m the romantic one.”

She rolls her eyes, but the smile stretched across her face gives her away. “I’d heard you’d had a difficult day. And I know you usually take the initiative on this kind of thing, so I wanted to do something nice for you.”

“It’s perfect,” he says, finally steady enough to move over and join her on the furs. She pulls him down into her embrace, his head resting on her stomach, feeling the soft _thump_ of her heartbeat under his cheek and her hands gently stroking his hair. Hiccup shifts so that he can place his hand on her stomach next to him. “I can’t wait to meet this little one. I can’t wait to show them the world.”

Astrid’s hand rests gently on top of his. “They can’t wait to meet you either,” she whispers. Hiccup turns his head over so he can make eye contact with her, the two sharing a look that has a meaning a thousand times more powerful than words.

“I just wish Toothless was here.”

He hadn’t meant to say it, the thought slipping out in a whisper before his brain can stop it. The whole village battles with the loss of the dragons every day, to the point where there is no need to ask why someone is crying apparently without cause. But it’s different for him. Everyone else lost friends, companions, manual labour resources.

Hiccup lost a part of his soul.

Astrid’s chest falls in a sigh. “I know, babe. I know.”

“He’d be so happy to know we’re expecting.”

She laughs softly, the movement jostling his head somewhat. “He’d be so relieved that we finally did the mating thing right. He probably thought you were doing it wrong, you know, for all those times he saw us when we _didn’t_ get pregnant after.”

Hiccup laughs properly at that, a full, chesty chuckle that draws him off Astrid’s chest, moving up to lie next to her, eyes level. Astrid stretches out a hand to cup his jaw; Hiccup’s move to rest gently on her waist.

“Do you think they miss us too?” he whispers.

“Of course,” she replies, reaching her fingertips into his hairline. “But we know they’re happy, and we know they’re safe, and that’s the important thing.”

He nods. “I’m glad I have you.”

She smiles. “I’m glad I have you.” Her spare hand comes to rest on her belly. “And I’m glad I have this one too.”

“Do you think we need to tell people yet?"

“I think we’ve got a few more weeks until I start obviously showing. The colder weather will help too, being able to hide it under my clothes. We can keep it to ourselves until then.”

Hiccup nods, then leans in to press the softest of kisses to her lips. She responds in kind, the touch not dissimilar from the first time they really understood what proper kisses could be like, when they were first together and giddy on each other’s love. And now the product of their love sits between them in Astrid’s belly, growing day by day.

Sometime later, when their clothing has been tossed aside and the fire has burned low in its pit, they lie on their backs, warm in each other’s embrace, silently gazing up at the stars above them. And for a little while, the Haddock family lie there in comfort and peace, hoping that somewhere, far away from New Berk, the lost members of their family might see the same constellations and think of them too.

 

* * *

_‘cause I’ve got a reason to love you / I’ve got a reason_

“Hiccup…!”

His mouth is a gift between her thighs, breath ghosting over her skin, lips hot and heavy, nose pressed _just right_ -

She whimpers again and thrusts her hips involuntarily towards the source of her pleasure, hands tightening in his hair, and then suddenly, inexplicably, _infuriatingly_ the source is removed and she opens her eyes and looks down around her bump to see his almost-black eyes and mouth covered in her arousal and the sight alone is almost enough to set her off-

“Astrid, you have to be quiet,” he murmurs, placing a kiss on the skin just above her knee. “Otherwise someone’s going to come in here to investigate and then they’ll find out about this and the whole village will know by the morning.” His hands curve over the smooth skin of her stomach, its protrusion small but clearly defined.

"I don’t care, Hiccup,” she whines, trying to shove her hips back into his face. “I want to- I _need_ to…”

He chuckles. “You are insatiable, milady.”

“I’m _pregnant_ , Hiccup, there’s a lot of stuff going on in my brain. And what it’s telling me right now is that you should definitely continue- _fuck_!”

Her back arcs off the table as his teeth graze over her nether regions, fists grasping at the air as she fights off her impending climax. “Hiccup!”

Her husband is relentless, and she feels herself slowly building up until she is barely a stroke away from release; she slants her hips just as his lips seal over that one perfect spot and _oh-_

She tries desperately to keep her moans to herself, one hand slapped over her mouth to dull the noise as she rides her peak. And then she’s not entirely sure what Hiccup does with his fingers and his mouth, but the heat that flashes through her in response is enough to set her off again before her first even finishes, and this time she can’t hold back her whimpers as her mind explodes, shattering pieces of her across the room as it goes on for what feels like forever.

In the back of her mind, she registers Hiccup softly moaning as well.

It takes several moments for her to collect her thoughts enough to remember where they are and how they got here, and she lifts herself up on shaky arms to look for her husband’s face, only to find him leaning into her thigh, face contorted.

"Hiccup? Babe, are you okay?” she pants. He looks up at her, discomfort evident in his features, his mouth and chin lightly coated in her arousal.

“I came in my trousers,” he whispers, and despite having just had the best orgasm of her life, his words send fresh bolts of heat straight to Astrid’s core. Gently, she pulls herself up to sitting, before reaching down and threading her fingers into his hair. With a sigh, she leans down to touch her forehead to his.

“Thank you,” she whispers. “That was the best fucking moment of my life.”

“I aim to please,” he murmurs; she can hear the smirk in his voice. She presses a kiss to his forehead.

“You okay?” she asks again, lips dragging against his skin, and he nods.

“That was the hottest thing I’ve ever seen or felt in my life. And that’s saying something, being married to you.”

She laughs softly. “I’m sorry about your trousers.”

“I’m not. Can you just be pregnant forever?”

“Sadly, I’m afraid not. Biology places restrictions on these kinds of things.”

He swears under his breath, and she giggles. “But there’ll be other opportunities. And I’m definitely not opposed to more pregnancies, especially if they all have moments like this as part of them.”

Hiccup finally rises to his feet, offering a hand to help her off the desk. She jumps down and shakes, her legs struggling to hold her upright. Her husband swoops in and catches her in his arms, pulling her close into his chest.

“I think we need to go home and get clean,” he murmurs into her ear. “Well, I do, in any case.”

“I think we need to go home and try whatever the fuck it was you just did again.”

“I concur, milady.”

  

* * *

_am I gonna waste my time on it / and fade away / or should I take a chance on you / and find my place?_

He slams the door shut behind him as quickly as possible, wanting to minimise the swell of freezing air that can escape into the house. Once the lock is secure, he pulls the hood attachment away from his face, freeing his mouth for speech.

“Astrid?”

“Upstairs!”

As quickly as he can, Hiccup shucks the rest of his outdoor clothes, pulling furs and gloves and leather away until he’s clad only in simple trousers and tunic, plenty warm enough with the fire roaring away in the fire pit. Depositing the clothing on a nearby table, he heads across the room and pads up the stairs in search of his wife.

He stops at the top of the stairs, wanting to preserve the image of what greets him. Astrid is sat in their bed, propped up by a mountain of pillows, wearing only one of his old tunics bunched up over her bump (Hiccup smiles at the memories attached to that particular shade of red), sifting through some old maps. One hand runs absentmindedly over her belly as she turns her head up to smile at him.

“Evening, babe,” she smiles. “How was it in the end?”

Hiccup rolls his eyes as he leans against a pillar. “Freezing. I’m going to give Finn all the shitty jobs when the Thaw rolls around in retribution. Starting with cleaning out all the outhouses.”

“Ooh, Chief Hiccup is _vengeful_ ,” she snorts, shifting the maps onto the floor next to her. “What would your father say?”

“He would have clubbed Finn round the head with his hammer for being such an idiot.”

“Yeah, that’s probably accurate.” A lock of hair falls from where it’s tied up and comes to rest on her shoulder.

“How’s the little one doing?” Hiccup asks, moving across the room to sit down on the other side of the bed.

“Not so little anymore,” she says, shifting slightly. “They like kicking my bladder; I feel like I have to pee three times an hour.”

Hiccup chuckles and leans in to press his lips to her belly. “Hey, little one. Stop harassing your momma, she gets grumpy when she has to pee all the time.”

He feels a light flick on his ear in retribution. “Sorry, my mistake, she’s always grumpy.” This time, it’s a harder smack on the head. “See? Point proven."

“You knew what you were signing up for when you married me,” she says, smiling at him as he rises to bring his face close to hers.

“And I wouldn’t change it for the world,” he murmurs, leaning in to press his lips to hers, their hands entwining over her bump.

Astrid breaks the kiss, and tugs at his shirt. “Hugs. Now.”

“Whatever milady desires.”

He pauses briefly to remove his prosthetic, then his tunic, then starts removing some of the pillows behind her to make room for him to slot in, legs either side of hers and her back against his chest. It takes a couple of moments to get their positioning right, but then Astrid leans back into his embrace and he presses his mouth to the top of her head, arms falling around her, and the world just feels perfect.

Astrid sighs, completely content. “Not long now.”

He shakes his head. “It’s amazing how quickly it’s gone. How long exactly do you think we have?"

He feels her shrug. “Gothi saw me earlier; she reckons somewhere between two and four weeks. But I was a bit early, and you were _very_ early so we’re probably looking at the lower end of that prediction.”

Hiccup extends a hand, fingers splaying over the skin above their child. “Two weeks,” he whispers.

Astrid’s fingers come to rest on top of his. “I know,” she replies. “Some days I still can’t quite believe that we’re going to be parents. And then I remember why I’m so heavy and bloated and why I need to eat and pee all the time."

He chuckles. “You’re so beautiful, Astrid.”

“Even when I pee all the time?" 

“Even when you pee all the time.”

“Liar."

“Nope, I just love you.”

“I love you too, you dork.”

The fire crackles downstairs, and the two pause for a moment to listen to it, to enjoy the feeling of warmth it provides and the warmth they offer each other. Astrid takes one of Hiccup’s hands between hers, alternating rubbing the skin gently with her thumbs and spinning his ring around on his finger.

“Astrid?”

“Mmm?"

“Do you think I’ll be a good dad?”

She pauses in her ministrations; the question having taken her by surprise.

“What makes you think you won’t be?" 

He snorts. “Well, I don’t think my parents are going to win any awards for the way they raised me. I mean, Mom wasn’t even in the picture until I was all grown up, and we all know how good my dad was at parenting me. And, yeah, I’ve seen other parents and other ways of doing it, and I want to do well, but… I guess I’m worried that biology is gonna screw me over a bit.”

He feels Astrid pull his hands to her chest, resting just above her heart, and he smiles, though she can’t see it. “Hiccup, you are going to be a wonderful father. You are so compassionate and caring, and you mean well, and in the end that’s what matters. I hope we’ll do a better job than our parents, but we’re still going to get things wrong, and that’s okay because that’s how we’ll get better at it. Frigg knows I’m probably going to be a lousy mother-”

“Hey,” Hiccup interjects. “You’ve carried this child for nearly nine months. You’ve got good instincts and every woman in the village supporting you. ‘Lousy’ and ‘Astrid’ aren’t even in the same vocabulary when it comes to you as a mother.”

“But the same goes for you, Hiccup. You had this exact same problem when you were young, when you became Chief, when you lost Toothless. You doubt yourself so much, but every time you’ve pulled through and been amazing at everything you’ve tried. And this baby is no different.”

“You really think so?"

“Hiccup, I wouldn’t have married you if I didn’t.”

Her confidence in him makes him forget how to speak; instead, he pulls her tighter against him, presses a kiss to her temples, his worries quashed so absolutely.

“Besides, you’re going to have to get used to watching the baby because you bet as soon as I can leave the house, I am going off to throw my axe again.”

“I would expect nothing less.”

 

* * *

w _e are kids in love / and I got so much more to give / more to give, my love_

The pains start suddenly in the middle of the night, and Astrid sits up and hisses as she feels… something happening.

“Hiccup.” She blindly smacks into the darkness where she thinks her husband is sleeping until she makes contact. “ _Hiccup_!"

“What?” She hears him roll to his feet and grab Inferno from where it rests next to his pillow. She sees the trepidation on his face as the blade ignites, eyes darting around the room in search of any danger.

“Something’s happening." 

“What?"

“My hips _ache_. Like how they used to do when I bled every month before this.”

“Is that good?"

“It hurts is what it is.”

“Do you need me to go get Gothi?”

Astrid opens her mouth to respond, but her words are interrupted by a throaty groan as she feels some tightening in her pelvis.

“Astrid!” Hiccup sheaths the sword and jumps across the bed to press his hands to her belly. “What’s happening?”

Astrid’s still unable to speak, the sensation making her momentarily forget how to form words, but she can almost hear Hiccup’s brain whirring with panic and raises a hand to cup his face.

“I’m… okay… give me… a minute…”

A few more seconds and the tension in her pelvis abates. Astrid exhales and sits back against the head of their bed, assisted by Hiccup. His hands come up to her face, worrying.

“Astrid?”

“I’m okay, Hiccup. I think this might be it.”

She feels him freeze, hands retreating from her face. “You okay, babe?”

"Yep. Yep, I’m fine. Great, even. No biggie, we’re just, you know, having a baby. _Oh gods_ …”

“Hiccup.” Her hands reach out for his cheeks. “I need you to hold it together. Can you do that for me?”

His hands cover hers. “I think so.”

“No, Hiccup, I need you to have this. Because in a few hours when I’m screaming in pain, you’re going to need to hold it together for the both of us.”

“I’m scared,” he whispers.

“I am too,” she whispers. “But we can do this. Together.”

She feels him nod.

“Go get Gothi.”

“I’m going.”

- 

“Hiccup.”

“What?"

“Stop pacing, you’re making me dizzy.”

“Sorry, Fishlegs, I’m just-”

He’s cut off by another noise from upstairs, Astrid’s moans sounding like they could shake the foundations of the house. Hiccup thinks he might pass out knowing how much pain she’s in right now. _But I promised her, I have to keep it together…_

He lets out a long breath.

“Hiccup, you’re doing well,” Ruffnut says from across the room. Next to her, Tuffnut drools onto the table. Only he could sleep through something like this.

“Yeah, Hiccup, I’m sure Astrid’s fine,” Fishlegs nods. “Your mom would have come and got you if there was anything for you to worry about."

As if on cue, the door at the top of the stairs opens and Valka appears.

“Hiccup- ”

“Oh gods, Mom, please tell me she’s okay?”

“She’s doing well, but she insists she won’t finish pushing without you in the room.”

Hiccup’s jaw drops. “But I thought men didn’t-” 

“ _Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third, I am having your baby, get your ass in here right this second or I swear to Thor I will_ -” Astrid is prevented from finishing her threat by another contraction, her moan loud enough to be audible on the other side of the village. Hiccup scrambles up the stairs after his mother without further thought.

There aren’t many people in the room – just their mothers and Gothi. An understated affair for the birth of the Chief’s heir, compared to Hiccup’s own birth. Gothi examines Astrid between her legs; Astrid’s mother sits at her daughter’s side. She cedes the position to Hiccup as he kneels down next to her, moving instead to stand next to Valka. 

“How are you doing, babe?” Astrid mumbles, head lolling back, brows furrowed as she focuses. 

“Me? I’m good. Never been calmer. How are you?”

“Fucking _peachy_.” Hiccup can’t help but laugh at that; even Astrid’s concentration face breaks to twitch into a smile.

“I think it’ll only be one or two more pushes now, Astrid,” Valka says. Astrid’s hand search for Hiccup’s; he grabs them and kisses them as her face contorts in pain again.

“That’s the head! And what a head of hair it has!” Astrid’s mother cries.

Hiccup leans in to press his lips to Astrid’s sweat-streaked forehead as she pants between the contractions. “Almost there, Astrid, you can do this, milady…” She squeezes his hands tight enough to be painful, but he shoves his discomfort aside in order to be there for her and her alone. And then Valka’s speaking, _just one more push, Astrid, one more push_ , and there’s a wet sound and Astrid gasps deeply in relief and Hiccup looks up to see Gothi beaming down at a small baby between Astrid’s legs.

“You have a daughter, Hiccup,” his mother smiles; beside her, Astrid’s mother clasps her hands to her breast in delight. Hiccup looks down at Astrid, the biggest smile of his life spread across his features.

“We have a daughter,” he whispers, smoothing some hair out of her eyes. “You did it!”

Astrid just looks slightly spaced out, so he tenderly places a chaste kiss to her lips, relieved when she moves her mouth in something resembling reciprocation. A tap on his shoulder draws his attention away; he turns to see the baby in a swaddling cloth being presented to him.

“Your heir, Chief,” his mother intones.

Hiccup looks down into the brightest pair of blue eyes he’s ever seen.

He didn’t think it was possible to love anyone as much as he loves Astrid. But then the baby in his arms yawns and cries a little and it hits him that this is his child, his baby, his _daughter_ …

“Hello,” he whispers, reaching down to take one of her hands in his, his heart almost melting when she wraps her tiny hand around his pinky finger. “I’m your father.”

Next to him, Astrid shifts, her arms reaching out. Hiccup gently turns and places the baby into her mother’s embrace, and Astrid sighs with relief. “Hiccup, she’s perfect.”

“Of course she is.” He kisses her temple again, before wrapping his arms around her. “She’s your daughter. She couldn’t be anything less than perfect.”

“Gothi says congratulations, Chief,” Astrid’s mother says. “And well done to Astrid, too.”

Hiccup can’t take his eyes off the baby girl crying softly in Astrid’s arms, so he just nods his thanks. Their mothers leave to share the good news with the others downstairs; Gothi instructs Hiccup to take the baby from Astrid so she can deliver the afterbirth. It’s difficult to watch her in pain again, but it’s over faster than he expects, and then when she’s cleaned up he sits back down and hands their baby back to his wife, wrapping his arms around the both of them.

“We did it,” she whispers, playing with the baby’s hands. “We’re parents.”

"She's ours," he breathes. "And she's so beautiful."

"She needs a good name," Astrid says, turning to look up into Hiccup's face. He meets her eyes, and for a second he's lost in their sapphire depths, the same colour as their daughter's, and he remembers the rush of the wind in his hair as he flew with his dragon over seas this colour many years ago. And then, suddenly, the name comes to him.

"Zephyr," he whispers. Astrid's smile spreads across her face, before she looks back down at the baby in her arms. 

"Zephyr," she agrees.

Zephyr Haddock shifts and closes her eyes, falling asleep warm in her parents’ embrace, not yet knowing how much she is loved and adored. But, Hiccup reflects, they’ve got a whole lifetime ahead of them to show her. And so for now, he and Astrid gaze down into the face of their newborn daughter, and for one eternal moment, life is, quite simply, perfect.

**Author's Note:**

> I've never written sexual content before so I hope it didn't suck lol
> 
> comments and constructive criticism are always appreciated!
> 
> be kind to yourself and others!
> 
> minty xoxo


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